Neighborhood Visits

At first glance, Inwood seems gloomy.  This is maybe a reflection of the cloudy sky and rainy weather.  It is uncharacteristically cold for this time of year and the clouds almost seem to connect with the wet concrete.  When waiting for other students near Starbucks, which people leave with outstandingly pink wrappers, we (the early arrivals) spotted a rack of books covered by a sheet of plastic.  It was an unmanned book swap.  The books that were left were old travel books or advice on pregnancy, but the appearance of the book swap showed a strong sense of trust in the neighborhood.  Right there, across from a commercial coffee shop, was proof that the Inwood community had strong community values.

As we walked through the streets, I noticed the landscape of squat buildings and brick apartments.  On the side of the road was a free newspaper dispenser (I am guessing this neighborhood is proud of its literacy).  To my surprise, the publication inside was in Spanish.  At that exact moment, Professor De began to talk about how the neighborhood used to be have a dominantly Spanish community but that it was currently undergoing a cultural shift.  Later, we saw the Irish pub, apparently one that had lasted through the changes, and the scenic parks.

The first park we viewed was not too impressive.  It was a sandy base with what seemed to be a real live cannon.  However, as a community piece, I could not imagine it to be more than a dog park.  The last park we viewed, however, had winding paths like Central Park, possibly for the same reason (to appear larger).  We saw several cliffs that seemed so far removed from Manhattan, with waves crashing down below.  Inwood is right next to the Harlem River, and the rock surface was surprisingly steep.  We were on the bridge looking below for a bit and we noticed that someone had sadly lost their soccer ball which was wedged between two stones.  Although the ball may have indicated that there might have been youth playing soccer in dangerous locations, we did not pass too many people on our walking tour.  The people that we passed were mostly older folks (it was early in the weekday morning), or people walking their dogs.

Although I did not get to go to the Dyckman House, sitting outside gave me a sense of the history.  The history that was exhibited (for $1 each) seemed largely capitalized and taken advantage of, which made me wonder who they were marketing this attraction to.  The outside was well manicured and the hedges were trimmed in a way that definitely did not stay true to its historical roots.  The signs were a bit cracked and weathered and the tour guide did not seem particularly enthusiastic to see our group (maybe because we needed a reservation?)  However, the house was well-maintained and the tour guide eventually let us see the house in smaller groups.